Roma Downey and Ted McKinley to lead in Karen Kingsbury’s The Baxters

April 9, 2018—Colorado Springs, CO—Popular TV stars Roma Downey and Ted McGinley will lead in “Karen Kingsbury’s The Baxters,” a scripted family drama based on the #1 New York Times bestselling author’s book series, announced Rick Christian, Founder and CEO of Alive Literary Agency, noting that filming began today in Los Angeles on the initial episodes.

He said the show will debut this fall in a half-hour format via Downey’s LightWorkers Media, a joint venture of MGM TV, Downey, and her husband Mark Burnett, who also heads MGM TV and Digital and is the acclaimed producer of “Shark Tank,” “Survivor,” “The Voice” and “The Apprentice.” The announcement of the show’s distribution platform is expected soon, but he said it will stream on all digital devices and smart TVs.

The series revolves around the lives of the adult children of a large family headed by Downey and McGinley, playing Elizabeth and John Baxter. The two TV veterans bring a level of visibility to the first scripted series to come from Downey’s streaming platform, which aims to offer uplifting news and information and faith- and family-centric entertainment content.

“We have assembled a talented cast and creative team to lead ‘The Baxters,’ LightWorkers’ first premium scripted digital series,” said Downey who is president of LightWorkers Media. “We look forward to bringing this beloved story to life for a whole new audience.”

McGinley’s long list of credits includes “Married with Children,” “The West Wing,” “Sports Night,” and two “Karen Kingsbury’s The Bridge” Hallmark movies. Downey is known for her long run on the CBS drama “Touched by an Angel.” She has turned her focus to producing in recent years through her role at LightWorkers Media.

Christian said Rachel Feldman will direct the new Kingsbury series, which will be produced by Downey and several others, including Emmy-nominated Will Packer (“Girls Trip,” “Straight Outta Compton,” “Ride Along,” “Roots”).